The implementation of Point-of-Care Testing (PoCT) services across rural and remote emergency departments (EDs) by NSW Health Pathology has the potential to significantly improve timely access to results for certain types of pathology laboratory tests and help to deliver timely patient care. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the implementation of PoCT on the length of stay (LOS) of patients in rural and remote EDs. A total of 3808 patients with a circulatory system illness were treated and discharged at any one of 22 rural and remote EDs during the study period. Generalised Estimating Equation (GEE) modelling was applied to examine whether the implementation of PoCT impacted the ED LOS with adjustment for a range of clinical variables. More patients were treated and discharged from these rural and remote EDs within 4-hours after the PoCT implementation (post-PoCT 86.8% versus pre-PoCT 84.3%). Although average ED LOS was 11 minutes shorter in the post-PoCT period, the impact of PoCT on ED LOS was not conclusive after considering other important clinical factors (p=0.07). This study is the one of the few to examine changes in LOS following the introduction of PoCT in EDs in Australia. The study also identified areas where more robust methods could be applied in the future as the quality of PoCT data improves to further assess the potential effects of this technology on practice and outcomes.
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Intern Med J
January 2025
Parkville Integrated Palliative Care Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital & Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Resuscitation
January 2025
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Health Services, Alberta, Canada; Centre for the Studies of Asphyxia and Resuscitation, Neonatal Research Unit, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address:
Background And Objectives: Advanced neonatal resuscitation interventions (ANRIs) are rarely performed for late preterm and term infants. However, healthcare providers in community hospitals may need to perform ANRIs, while having limited experience and resources. Understanding practice differences between hospitals of different levels of service (LoS) and rural/urban location may inform quality improvement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Med Internet Res
January 2025
Vibrent Health, Inc, Fairfax, VA, United States.
Background: Longitudinal cohort studies have traditionally relied on clinic-based recruitment models, which limit cohort diversity and the generalizability of research outcomes. Digital research platforms can be used to increase participant access, improve study engagement, streamline data collection, and increase data quality; however, the efficacy and sustainability of digitally enabled studies rely heavily on the design, implementation, and management of the digital platform being used.
Objective: We sought to design and build a secure, privacy-preserving, validated, participant-centric digital health research platform (DHRP) to recruit and enroll participants, collect multimodal data, and engage participants from diverse backgrounds in the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) All of Us Research Program (AOU).
Heliyon
January 2025
Laboratory of Social and Solidarity Economy Governance and Development (LARESSGD), Department of Economics, Faculty of Law Economics and Social Sciences, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
Early school dropout rates in Morocco exhibit widespread spatial imbalances leading to adverse consequences. Indeed, there is thus a pressing need to investigate the factors contributing to the phenomenon. To this end, this study conducts a multivariate spatial analysis of 75 provinces in Morocco.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRural Remote Health
January 2025
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Introduction: Perceived social support is a psychological construct that is used to describe the 'perception of adequacy' of the support being provided by a person's social network. Higher perceived social support has been linked to multiple benefits across numerous studies over the past several decades and among multiple populations. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is a 12-item scale to assess the construct of perceived social support.
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